ABC leads the pack with new local commissions
Hugh Marks introduces the ABC showcase on Thursday afternoon in Sydney
Julia Morris, Sam Pang, Shaun Micallef, and Marc Fennell each have successful programs on competing free-to-air networks — but 2026 will also see them head-up new projects on the ABC.
The national broadcaster unleashed a bevy of new commissioned programming at its ’26 upfront showcase, held at ABC’s Ultimo offices on Thursday afternoon.
As managing director Hugh Marks explained, 2026 will see the ABC air over 100 new and returning locally produced titles that “showcase the creativity and ambition” of the network. I’m yet to do the maths, but it seems the ABC has commissioned more original programming for 2026 than the other four free-to-air networks put together.
